Sour Summer
Sours are a class of beer all on their own. Some love them, some hate them, regardless, they are here to stay and continue to gain popularity. Sour beers are brewed to be intentionally tart and acidic. There are several types of beers that fall under the Sour umbrella: American Wild Ale, Berliner Weisse, Flanders Red Ale, Gose, Lambic, and Oud Bruin.
Though it may seem like Sours are a relatively “new” type of beer, they most certainly (and perhaps surprisingly!) are not. Sour beers are one of the oldest beer styles known to man, and can be traced back to ancient times – with archaeological evidence as far back as 4000 to 7000 BC – because at that time nearly ALL beer was sour.
“Really…?” you might ask, while giving me the stink-eye of doubt.
The answer is “yes,” because pasteurization did not arrive on scene until 1864 when Louis Pasteur discovered a simple way to prevent microbes and bacteria from reproducing to prevent food and drink from spoiling. The earliest forms of pasteurization were used mainly in beer and wine making on a large scale; pasteurizing milk did not actually become a wide-spread practice until much later.
Prior to this discovery, beer was full of microbes, with such bacteria like Lactobacillus and Pediococcus, or fungi/yeasts like Brettanomyces, which produce acids in large quantities, and therefore “sour” the brew. With pasteurization, brewers could impart much more control over the microbes going into their brewing processes and largely, sour beers were no longer being produced.
Today, as craft breweries continue to grow and expand, they not only need to hone into what consumers want, but also embrace experimentation in order to keep things new and fresh. With more brewers experimenting with different microbes, we are now seeing a resurgence of sours, purposely.
American Wild Ale/American Sour Ale: These beers are brewed with a random assortment of American strains of yeast and bacteria – they may occur spontaneously, hence the term “wild,” or may be cultured. The wild ales, especially, do not necessarily follow any specific guidelines and because of the unpredictability involved, a wild ale is likely to taste slightly different with each batch.
Berliner Weisse: This sour hearkens back to Germany, and yes, Berlin – just as the name implies. These brews are usually less potent as far as ABV goes, higher in carbonation, and made with Lactobacillus, the same bacteria found in yogurt. The bacteria breaks down sugar and turns it into lactic acid.
Flanders Red Ale: A relative of English porters of the 1600s, and originating in the Flemish region of Belgium, these sours are fermented with yeast and then aged in oak barrels. The name relates to the usual reddish color of the brew.
Gose: Pronounced “Goes-AH,” this sour’s roots are based in Goslar, Germany. Coriander and salt are typical and traditional main components along with lactic acid producing bacteria, creating a herbaceous, salty, very tart beer.
Lambic: This beer originates from the Brussels area of Belgium. The wort produced in the brewing process is cooled and exposed to the open air in winter and spring and then fermented in barrels and allowed to mature. Lambics are usually blends of different season’s batches – known as gueuze – and fermented a second time with fruits: raspberries, cherries, and strawberries are common.
Oud Bruin: Another type of sour originating from the Flemish region of Belgium and similar to the Flanders Red Ale, this brew is dark in color and is not aged in wooden barrels, but rather stainless steel. Additionally, the yeasts utilized are cultured.
Of importance to note, Sours should be stored between 45-55°F, and if you come across a corked sour, you should treat it as you would a bottle of wine and store it lying on its side. Recommended serving temps vary, but the beer should be cooler than room temperature, or to individual preference. Suggested glassware is a tulip glass as this allows the complexity of each sour to evolve, take shape, and allow the beer to “breathe.”
Sours tend to be favored in the summer and during warmer weather. The tart, crisp, fruited flavors are particularly refreshing this time of year! Lastly, if you are looking to pair a Sour with a meal or a snack, some optimal choices are omelets and quiches, spicy dishes, salty cured meats and bold cheeses, rich fatty cuts of beef and sausage, mollusks – clams/mussels/oysters, and fruited desserts.
Cheers!
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